Small but mighty – 9 1/2″ Shelby winning in the 12″ class in 1998 at the age of 10 years old.
When I think back on to my first years in agility with my Jack Russell Terrier “Shelby,” it makes me happy to see where agility has come. Shelby competed almost exclusively in USDAA where at only 9 1/2″ tall she had to climb a 6′ 3″ A Frame, manoeuvre over contacts with 1″ slats (including the seesaw) which made them almost seem like cavalettis to a dog her size and she had to jump 12″ jumps . . . but wait here in 2013 she would still have to jump 12″ in USDAA (not in AAC, or CKC, or AKC or I am sure many other venues).
I applaud USDAA for taking the initiative for changing their jump heights but, why not add a Championship 8 or 10″ class for those little dogs?
The new jump heights in USDAA are now:
12″ for those dogs 12″ tall and under
14″ for those dogs 14″ tall and under
16″ for those dogs 16″ tall and under
18″ for those dogs 17 1/2″ and under
22″ for those dogs 21″ and under
and 26″ for all dogs over 21″ tall.
So that leaves us with the little dogs like Shelby still having to jump 12″ or be regulated to the “performance” classes because they are not really “Championship quality” dogs. Ouch.
Even though I haven’t been in the 12″ class for a while, I will always feel like a “small dog handler” at heart and am disappointed in USDAA for not standing up for the little guys. Yes, there are less “paying customers” in this tiny little jump class but fair and equal treatment should be available to all dogs of all sizes.
I hope USDAA will take another look at this in their efforts to keep pace with the needs of all agility enthusiasts out there. I would love to hear your opinion about the new USDAA height classes but be sure when leaving your comments to be respectful to the effort USDAA has made; as the late coach John Wooden used to say, “we don’t have to be disagreeable just because we disagree.” So please let’s have some constructive positive comments that can help USDAA understand our views in a way that inspires them to keep wanting to make changes in the best interest of the dogs.
Today I am grateful to USDAA for being open to feedback and willing to make changes for the needs of their customers . . . let’s hope this is one more!
You acknowledge that there are not as many small dogs in USDAA so maybe that’s why they didn’t really look at them. I have a 9.5 in dog, who should jump 126% of her height. That puts her at a bigger disadvantage than any other jump height now. Certainly she CAN jump 12, but to do that for 6 or 7 runs in a day at 90+ degrees here. Nope. We run preferred. USDAA will see more small dogs after they lower the height without making them non-championship dogs.
I got to watch you run one steeplechase run today with Feature and one with Swagger. Great to see you in my home town Leduc at the AAC Nationals. Looking forward to see more fast dog action as a volunteer this weekend.
Thanks Cathy and thanks so much for VOLUNTEERING!
My new PWD is 17.75 inches and I’ll not jump her 22,, she’s mildly dysplastic and heck, as someone else said.. she does not know she’s in PERFORMANCE – only I do – and in this area (the NE) Performance can be every bit as competitive as Championship…Pity the way they divided it, but I guess USDAA has to be different, or is it based on european heights of dogs and jump heights?
I agree with most of the what the little dog people are saying. I run a Corgi who measured about 9 1/2. I feel for her safety, 8 inches obviously is best for her. I do agree with someone who said it would be nice to have the option to run in 8″ championship. On the other hand, USDAA is suggesting they have a sense of safety by lowering A-frame, and not allowing spread jumps, etc. in Performance.
There have only been a few times that I have felt “2nd class” in the Performance division. Mostly, it’s when they holler for briefings and only refer to the championship dogs, and we Performance dogs have to say, “Us too?” And the other time is when I see championship dogs who have earned their ADCH go “down” to Performance–not that they shouldn’t do that, but that as an 8″ I don’t have that option. And I’m not suggesting 4″, but an 8″ at both P and C.
Lastly, I am a big fan of USDAA. I feel like I get more bang for my bucks nor do I have to stress about double Qs. Yes, sometimes in my area, we are the only 8″ or maybe with 3 others. At New England regionals, it was quite a competitive field of 10 dogs. And when we do go to AKC events, there are at least 5-10. So I am disappointed that USDAA doesn’t seem to “want” our business.
I am curious with all the new height changes if it’s going to make for smaller classes and thus affect the Snooker SuperQ–more combining of height classes.
Thanks again, Susan for standing up for the little dogs.
Barbara
Good point Susan. It made me look at the jump heights which I hadn’t done before.
I think there is at least one height missing for little dogs as well as for large dogs, 12 and 24 inches. That would break it down in 2 inch increments.
I just emailed USDAA. I am not sure whether that will do any good, since I don’t know how far in the decision progress they are, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt trying. Maybe if they get lots of feedback they will rethink.
Thanks again!
Karin
Great Karin, if enough people take their constructive concerns to the USDAA it can only help!
I think this is the best compromise we could expect from 3 major deliverables- A> make the 22″ class smaller, B> encourage more handlers of dogs between 16.1″ and 22″ to participate, and C> change jumps heights in a way which assured that spaced heights remain equally fair. Its a commendable solution when examined that way. When examined in light of the needs of one’s own personal dog, some are bound to be disappointed.
It needs also be view from what is equitable and fair to all . . . sadly the little dogs continue to be overlooked by USDAA.
I feel like they missed the boat on both ends of the spectrum. My aussie is 18 mo and hasn’t started competing yet, but no way would I jump him at 26″ when he’s 21.5″. Does he love to jump and regularly over jump? Sure, but it’s not a justification for making him do it in competition. If we ever do USDAA, it will be for fun at performance height only, AKC and the rest will be where we will be spending most of our time/money.
On the other end of the height scale, I won’t be jumping my 21.1″ dog @ 26″. She is very athletic but will be doing performance. I was hoping USDAA would match cutoffs and jump heights to AKC. Oh well, this is far better than the 30″ from years ago, when there was no performance class in the mix. I will focus on how far things have come for the better.
I am personally very disappointed that there are no lower jump heights in USDAA for toy dogs. I was really looking forward to that change. My paps are very small but love the game. I enjoy USDAA games as well. We jump in performance at 8″ in USDAA but there is just no options to go down any further.
It is a shame because my home club is USDAA however I will probably stick mostly to AKC.
I, too, was disappointed. My Chihuahua is 8 1/4″ and the most he has ever jumped is 8 and now that he is 11, he jumps 4. So, even though we are now having USDAA trials in our area, he is unable to compete. At the last AKC event I was at, there were 35 dogs in the 8″ class so maybe USDAA should look at their jump heights again as they might be missing out on quite a few entries…. if they really care !
With a small dog years ago, I felt that USDAA, with more space between obstacles, was really made for larger dogs that had a tendency to take off too fast for working in close quarters. That is why I have likes AKC. It has a greater variety of obstacles with tight turns and quick changes. This seemed more adapted to my little dogs that were quick and on target. So I stick with that venue even if it means not as many competitions available.
The Papillon I run now is 9.5″. I was hoping to run in USDAA after he finishes his MACH, but doubt I will now.
Yeah, we could enter Performance, but I think the USDAA has made pretty clear what they think of toy dogs.
A 12″ jump is half again the height of an 8″ dog. It is equivalent to a 20″ dog jumping 30″. Amazing that no one sees that.
Thanks, Susan, for sticking up for us.
My new dachshund at 9 1/2 inches easily jumps 12 bot I do not ask her to jump that heighth. My older girl also could jump 12 but I never felt it was fair to ask her to jump higher than her head height. I always am concerned about the stress of landing and turning at 8″ and feel the strain would increase by asking them to land even harder. I mostly do AKC because of the jump height. I too was hoping USDAA was going to encourage more small dogs by adding 8″ jump at the championship level.
My corgi is a little older (we got a late start into agility), and we have recently moved down to 4″. He’s still every bit as competitive – but apparently, a concern for your dog’s health before their agility career is frowned upon at USDAA. He couldn’t compete in it at ALL. I don’t believe jumping higher than the shoulders consistently is even remotely good for your dog’s long-term health. My corgi is a pet first, an agility competitor second, so we’ll stick with our nice low jump height and our much more conscientious venues.
I’m probably one of the few that have switched from AKC to USDAA. I get a lot more runs and I use a lot more skill sets in USDAA.
I struggled for awhile with having to complete in Performance vs Championship with dogs that measure right at 12″. They are also Bostons so they don’t have the body build to pull off jumping a lot more than their own height.
This change will allow me to compete with my newest puppy in the Champion program because he’ll measure just over 12″ and be able to jump 14″. I don’t like that he can’t go to 8″ performance at some point but that could be a long way down the road.
My biggest problem now is Team. It’s already hard to get together a team with a 12″ and a 16″. Once you throw a 14″ in the mix and take dogs from the 12 or 16 that used to be able to help out. That’s gonna be tricky for me. Guess we’ll have to team with all those 22″s!
I wholeheartedly agree with this post. I have a 9″ tall Terrier that jumps P8″ because she just isn’t built to jump C12″. We’re PERFECTLY happy in the Performance track, but it would just be nice to have the OPTION to jump lower if needed. Right now, USDAA as a venue would not be an option for me and my dog if, for some reason, she couldn’t jump 8″ anymore. All the other size dogs have the option of dropping into Performance (for whatever reason), but if I needed to drop a jump height with my little dog, I’d have to wait for her to be old enough to be a Veteran.
Thank you for writing this!
I’m looking at it from the big dog’s point of view. I have a 21 1/4″ 55 pound lab who is very agile but has to jump 26 inches in Championship. Just not right to make her jump the same height over the course of a career as a border collie who is the same height but weighs 20 pounds less. Yes, she can jump in Performance (now at 20″) but not fair that she never has the chance to run in a division that, otherwise, she could be very competitive in!!
I run a miniature dachshund. He could never compete at 12″(actually he would try, but I wouldn’t let him). That’s almost twice his height! So we run 8″ performance in USDAA. Sure wish he could run in the championship level like the big guys.
Honestly, if they really wanted to make it a even playing field, they would have based jump heights on the dogs’ weight:height ratio, since that primarily determines how high/easily a dog can jump. The lower the ratio, the easier/higher a dog can jump. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to weigh and measure every dog every trial, but ratios can be (and have been) determined based on average heights and weights of various dog breeds. Of course not every dog is going to fit nicely into breed/height category, since there is variation (sometimes a lot!) within breeds, and mixes would have to be determined individually. But, it would be a much fairer way of determining jump heights, IMO. Maybe individual dogs would be measured and weighed when they get their height card initially. Just a thought. And, yes, so grateful that they will have a 20″ performance class for the 26″ dogs, seeing as I’m planning on dropping down my 26″-er.
I don’t think you can say that there are not the numbers to support a smaller height when the 4-8 and 12″ heights in AKC are huge! Schizzy competes in 12″ are there are often 2 walk thrus for them, with over 80 dogs. There are a LOT of small dog folks running agility in other venues that may consider USDAA if a more viable height option were available.
Barb
What I think agility organizations need to do is get real about the need to think about height AND breed. A Rottweiler is not a border collie. A corgi is not a jack russell. We are putting strain on our dogs that is unnecessary. Performance is a dumb idea, because it says that people who care about their dogs’ health, or don’t have the typical breed, should somehow compete at a “second tier.” And if it weren’t a second tier, why not just have one big tier? I say, have ONE championship class. Have jump heights that are decided by height, breed, AND age. Don’t keep making different tiers for different dogs. It elongates the day unnecessarily and turns people away from the sport.
I love to see the jump height changes, but I would also like to see more heights for small dogs. I grew up with big dogs and will always have at least one for protection if nothing else, but I have recently begun to truly appreciate the small dogs. My Chi-Weiner and my 12″ mini-mop (shaggy mix) started me on the small dog path, but I only compete the 8.5″ Chi-Weiner in NADAC Tunnelers due to jump heights. She only goes to USDAA as an observer. It would be nice to be able to comfortably compete her in USDAA without worrying that I’m over-jumping my dog!
It doesn’t really resolve the middle sized dog issue either. Dogs in the 18″ class are regarded as “large”, and have to do the taller A-frame. I’d actually be perfectly happy to jump my 16″ Staffordshire Bull Terrier at 18″, but I don’t want to put him on the taller A-frame. So if he officially measures over 16″ (he’s had 2 USDAA measurements, one judge measured him at 16″, one at 16 1/4″), my choices are to suck up and run my little brick over the tall A-frame, or compete with 21″ BCs in the P-16 class.
I’ll probably just stay with AKC. I actually would have liked to run this dog at 18″, it would be good practice for WTT, but I don’t think the tall A-frame is safe for him.
My 17 7/8 inch dog will still need to jump 22″ in USDAA which I don’t want him to do. So I will stick to AKC where he can jump 16″ and save his joints some wear and tear. I can run him in performance in USDAA, but I haven’t and probably won’t. I agree with Susan, Having small dogs jump 12″ is just too hard on them physically. I am disappointed in the new rules.
I agree. I am a bit disappointed that the “little dogs” have been left out of the changes. While my 10.25 inch tall Pembroke corgi, Panda and I are having fun in 8″ Performance (USDAA), it would be nice to have a comparable height in the Championship track as well, should one want to go that way. Panda is capable of jumping 12″, but I thought it would be too hard on her body in the long run so opted for Performance 8. If there was a 10″ height class in Championship, we might have selected that instead. I think Performance is the best option for my dog, but do feel that some look down on the Performance dogs, as if they are not “real” agility dogs. Granted, there is a bit more time in Performance over Championship, but I don’t feel many choose that route because of the time, it is mainly the heights that drive individual decisions to enter the Performance track (especially now that their is a Veterans class for older dogs).
This doesn’t help the USDAA situation, but this is the exact reason that TDAA was created. Little dogs were getting treated like second class citizens even though, proportionally, the little dogs are just as fast and accurate as the big dogs.
Thank you Susan for speaking up for the small dogs! I agree with what most have already said. I run a 10.5″ dog, and I care too much about his long-term physical well being to risk injury or damage by jumping him repeatedly at 12″. When I heard there was going to be a jump height announcement, I was hoping that they were going to initiate a new lower height, but was very disappointed to read otherwise.
On the other end of the spectrum, I also have a 23.5″ dog, who did some USDAA early in his career. While I was never totally comfortable with him jumping 26″, we did enter championship because he always over-jumped anyway. However, as he has gotten older, I would never let him jump that high anymore.
It’s a great shame that they are ignoring the just as competitive and driven small dogs and not valuing their abilities. Since I have to travel for most of my trials, I will be spending my money elsewhere!
I entirely agree with your post Susan. I would also like to add that the USDAA board discussed lowering the A-Frame for 8″ Performance dogs in Jan. 2013. Reducing the height of the A-Frame to 5′ for 8″ Performance dogs would have afforded them the same benefit as the big P Dogs currently have re: the A-Frame being lower than it would be if they were running in Championship. There was quite a bit of support on USDAA Sounding Board for lowering the A-Frame for mini-P dogs yet I assume since no decision was announced in July (as Ken said it would be), that no decision was made. I have since moved on to another venue as a result of the mish-mash of obstacle specs for 8″ dogs in USDAA but for all the 8″ dogs still competing in USDAA, it can’t hurt to drop Ken an email to express your opinions about the inconsistencies when it comes to obstacle specs for mini P dogs in USDAA: [email protected]
I am dissapointed. I have a 12.25 inch Cardigan. He would have to jump 14 or 12. He is a 36 pound dog with short legs that give limited shock absorbtion. No activity/sport/event is ever going to be 100% equal for all participants, but a jump height determination that considers structure would be nice. A 12.25 inch Sheltie (for example) and a 12.25 inch Cardigan are significantly different.
Could he do it, sure, but for how long? For his long term health, no USDAA for us.
NADAC offers lower jumps for selected breeds. And the lowest jumps are at 4 inches if you want to go that low.
Does running performance mean a 4 inch reduction? So a 14″ dog would jump at 10″ or would that be 12″
I have never done much USDAA because of the jump heights for my dogs (all under 15″ over the last 15+ years). I would love to do more USDAA, so I hope they will create some options for us terrier owners! I love the games and ability to do Pairs in USDAA, and like their courses, so hope these changes will come to pass! Thanks for highlighting the issue.
There are less “paying customers” because 12″ is just too high to ask many to jump. I could never ask my 7.5″ tall dog to jump 12″. On principle I won’t enter the performance class when there are many other organizations that consider my dogs “champions”.
All Agility Organizations should be consistent in their dog height and required jump height requirements to keep dogs our from being injured. My 7 year Border Collie is 17.63″ @ the withers and I feel that the USDAA requirement to have her jump 22″ is too high so I won’t compete and stay in AKC where she only has to jump 16″.
I agree with you regarding the USDAA in jump heights, but sometimes we have to look outside the organizations we love the most for the safety and health of our dogs. As I am getting Riley ready for her first upcoming trials in agility I may trial her at USDAA events. But our main focus will be TDAA (Teacup Dog AA). At under 12 inches her jump height is 8 inches.
With a large following on the east coast and midwest, it is a great alternative venue for small dogs, long dogs, etc as their are exceptions in place to make jumping safe. Hopefully we will build it up for us folks on the west coast so we can have more trials to attend.
We tried championship level with my small cocker spaniel and the 16 inch height was too much, particularly given we regularly competed in other venues (and practiced) at 12 inches. My heartdog’s health far outweighed any need to jump her at a championship level. We did do performance for a few trials, but USDAA ultimately lost our business to AKC and CPE, where between the two venues, we earned “real” titles at a height that didn’t compromise my dog’s health. I would have loved to compete with USDAA had the height been something more reasonable. And my little cocker was taller than a very tiny Italian greyhound who also had to jump 16″ for championship titles. I was dumbfounded by that.
I concur completely. I’m a prime example, as this is an issue that has detracted me from competing in USDAA, purely for the reason that I don’t want to jump my 10 & 11 inch westies on bars at their eye level. First & foremost, my dogs are family & I don’t want to put them in a situation that could potential cause unnecessary harm or pounding on their joints. This is especially important to me, as I’m watching them get older. Don’t get me wrong…I have no problem with people that compete little dogs at the higher jump height, this is just my personal preference & the decision I made for my guys.
It also is detracting that the 8 inch class is relegated to the performance classes. Whether it does in reality or does not, the performance class has that unsaid implication of not being on the same level of competition as the Championship class does. I would look forward to the challenges & games provided by USDAA but don’t really feel the need to spend my money in that venue when there are other venues that have jump heights more suitable for little legs.
It’s interesting to me that almost all the jump heights are separated by only two inches between heights…but then there is the big gap at the bottom & the top of the spectrum. I’m sure they will eventually adjust the heights again…but I don’t know if it will be in the time span of my dog’s career.
Thanks Susan for raising the topic…it will be an interesting discussion.
Susan,
I agree my long back mixed breed measures 12.25 and would still have to jump 14 in Championship and would still have to jump 14 in Performance. There is no way he could take the spreads.
It seems that the little dogs never get the attention they deserve.
Diane
I am very disappointed that there is no Championship height for my little dog (10.5″). I realy don’t care if I run in Performance or Championship but I do mind that when I was running my other dog in the Performance 12″ class I was often the only dog in the class. It’s not possible to develop the camaraderie that the other heights enjoy when you’re one of just a few dogs in the class.
I’m also surprised that USDAA isn’t making more effort to attract our little dogs. It makes me feel that we aren’t valued and that makes me prefer AKC although I really miss the challenge and fun of USDAA courses.
This is exactly how I feel. As much as I love USDAA courses and games, I always feel like a fish out of water when I’m at USDAA trials. Being surrounded by those speedy Border Collies always makes my dog, who is pretty fast for a little one, seem slow. So I tend to enter AKC where I have some competition and camaraderie.
I have always showed “just little dogs” and if USDAA did look more at the jump height for little dogs… they may find “more paying customers” My dogs are 9″ and can jump 12…. but it is not a level playing field.
Thank you for bringing this up….I have not competed in USDAA because of the jump heights demanded of our smaller dogs, it looks like USDAA still does not want smaller dogs competing at “championship” levels….yes, my dogs can jump those heights now, but I think about tomorrow and what it does to there bodies…I am very happy there are other venues for the little dogs to compete in, so for now we will stay there.
Maybe USDAA should take a look at 8″entries in other venues. The 8″ height has become quite competitive, with more dogs running than ever before in AKC and CPE. The little guys are every bit the champions and that should be acknowledged in the addition of an 8″ jump height.
USDAA just started up in my area, so I looked into it and decided against it. My Cairn mix is 13.5″ and now 7 years old. My choice has always been to jump at the lowest height possible, so we can keep playing for as long as possible. That meant 8″ in UKC, 8″ in NADAC skilled, but 12″ in TDAA (now 8″ because he’s a veteran). As he got older I could see he was getting tired of jumping 12″, and with USDAA that’s my lowest possible choice.
No, in USDAA 4″ is your lowest option if they are a veteran. (in performance they ump 8″)
This will certainly keep me from trying USDAA. My most talented corgi is 10″ at the shoulder. In AKC, she runs happily at 8″. It isn’t fair for me to ask her to jump at 12″ consistently.
I applaud USDAA for taking some action. My concern is for the 26″ class. For super q and steeplechase now unless there are 7 dogs in each 18, 22 and 26 classes, these dogs will now be combined. This will impact the 26″ dogs for qualifying purposes – maybe not for snooker so much but for steeplechase.
I do appreciate the performance height drop to 20″!
Thank you for standing up for our little dogs! I have felt it is a group that is treated as a second class citizens by USDAA. Maybe little dog competitors did not complain enough. I get my ADCHs & move down to 8″ which they jump in AKC. I think the 21+ group also got ignored. I have seen the small dogs classes at AKC trials getting larger in general not seen this in USDAA.
I completely agree that the over 21+ jumping 26″ is just as destructive. Even though my dog is athletic, his long term health does factor in to which venue gets my entries.
At least this was a good first step at reviewing jump height requirements after many years of no consideration.
Where does USDAA look down on the performance program? I don’t understand that. I run in both Championship and Performance in USDAA, we have the same classes, same courses, and in our area, in some shows,equal perf. dogs show.
Susan, I am glad you brought this up and hope that your voice has more power than mine would!! I brought this up on FB regarding AAC regular height categories. USDAA has at least more categories than AAC being 10, 16, 22 and 26. What a huge spread if your dog is .5 inches over the cut off. If you ask jump experts my belief is that they will not encourage repeated jumping over a dogs height. This may cause a heated debate which I do not wish to entertain. I am a weekend player, wont even go as far to say warrior. Some dogs do well jumping over their height due to their structure, light boned versus a heavier boned dog like mine. However, the height categories do not allow much flexibility. In AAC you either jump high or go to Specials. They feel that by offering Specials its an option, but its such a lower height, doesnt make sense.
Hope your voice creates some thought into the jump heights in USDAA and maybe spreads to AAC.
Good luck at Nationals and hope you are feeling better.
I found it so wonderful that you have more different heights and we do in Europe and so more dogs from different breeds compete in high quality agility. As here many simply don`t want to risk the health of their dogs over the years.
And I miss the awareness for body work, massage, chiropraktik in the high in trial competition dogs.
I am very grateful what I could learn here through the internet for my dogs and some more.
As a competitor I LOVE the addition of the 14 & 18″ heights. It is about time. I agree they needed to go further by adding the lower heights (even one would be an improvement!) to the championship division. I hope that AAC follows suit…
Hi Susan,
Funny I thought the main reason they were looking at the jump heights was to attract more of the smaller dogs as it is an audience that they are losing to AKC. It has made it advantageous for some of the middle height dogs but as you day done nothing for the little guys. I am surprised by this omission.
My 10.5″ Scottie doesn’t care if we run in Championship or Performance, so why should I? We’ll stay in the 8″ division and enjoy every run. Hooray USDAA for moving in the right direction.
That’s great Kathy, that you love 8″ Performance for your Scotties, my point is a 9 1/2″ jumping dog like Shelby should have the option of Performance or a reasonable jump height in Championship the way all other breeds in the other jump heights get. My point is there is no “reasonable” Championship alternative for the smaller dogs like in the other heights.
I don’t run a small dog, but I agree there should be a height option for them in championship. Just because short dogs should have the same options. But I do want to speak up for Performance, though, which is being dismissed as something less than. The writer equates “performance” classes with not being “really ‘Championship quality’ dogs.” OUCH indeed! While I understand what point might be trying to be made, this really says that performance class is for those dogs who aren’t “championship quality” (which is presumably of higher quality than performance quality). Honestly, it’s not as if there is some test that entitles a dog to run in Championship rather than Performance. It’s a matter of handler preference, not skill.
I run my tall dog (21.5 inches) in Performance because there is no way I would put him over 26 inch jumps. Watching the 26″ class jump is often very painful to see with so many dogs coming down hard, landing and turning on their shoulders as they take jumps that are so disproportionately higher than their shoulders. I can’t imagine that is good for their joints. As courses get more tight and twisty, that’s just increasing.
Performance dogs are competitive. They are championship quality. But their handlers have made the decision to preserve their bodies.
My daughter has a little dog who measures at 10.5 inches. She choose to compete at P8 (risk of injury on spreads at 12″).
What a blast they are having!!! It doesn’t matter to us Performance vs Championship (although a choice would have been nice) They love the courses and the games and have done very well!
True, In SW Florida we see many more small dogs at AKC vs USDAA.
Hopefully USDAA will continue to make improvements to their program and eventually move in the direction of attracting more small dogs.